Cold brewed coffees are the latest fad. But there is a legitimate reason for this. Cold brewed coffees are an invention out of a necessity. One of the most common after-effects of drinking coffee is the acidity of the stomach. This is because hot brewed coffee is acidic due to the extraction process employed. To solve this problem, the Japanese invented a method called Mizudashi or cold brewing of coffee. Interestingly, it took this coffee 400 years before it became a fad mainly because coffee consumption has soared due to the increase in consumerism.
Cold brewing yields a coffee which has a sweet-bitter balance and a medium to heavy body. The brewing time is very high ranging from 12 to 24 hours based on strength desired (over-extraction can lead to a very bitter coffee). This coffee can be used with any roast level. Another interesting point to note is that cold brew methods perform very well with aged coffee. In case your coffee stops performing post the 4th week after roasting, look to cold brew it. Now that you have something cool to talk about, let's get to brewing something cool to drink!
Estimated time: 12 to 16 hours
Equipment required:
Any 1 litre container (bottle, jug, flask)
Filtration method (channi or fine-mesh sieve)
Optional:
V60 with filter paper for a cleaner body
Brewing Parameters:
Coffee = 80 gms of coffee
Grind size = 9/10 (1=very fine, 10=very coarse)
Water = 1000 ml of water
Water Temp = 30-35° C (room temperature)
Brewing Time = 12 to 16 hours depending on strength desired
Brewing Style = Single pour with a 10 second vigorous stirring after 8 hours of brewing
Steps:
1. Take 80 gms of coarse coffee grounds and add to the container
2. Pour 1 litre of room temperature water into the container and stir till all the grounds are wet. Keep the prepared brew inside the fridge as is to steep it for 12 to 16 hours.
3. You can choose the time to cold brew it depending on the strength desired. If you prefer to have your cold brew with milk, go for higher steeping time along with medium to dark roasted coffee. If straight up black is your go to style, then steep for 12 hours with a light to medium roast.
3. After 8 hours of steeping, stir the brew vigorously for 10 seconds so that all the grounds are now submerged.
4. After 12 to 16 hours have passed, shake the container vigorously once again and prepare to strain
5. Use a channi or a fine meshed sieve to filter cold brew
6. Additionally, you can do another round of filtration using a V60 to get a much cleaner cold brew. Please note that use the V60 to filter after you are done with the channi method else the fines with block the pores of the V60's paper filter and make the filtration cumbersome.
7. Finally, store in bottles or freeze into cubes. Cold brewed coffee can last up to 1 month when refrigerated.
Additional tips:
There are amazing cold brew recipes that you can find on the internet. You can add the following in the brewing process
Cinnamon
Orange zest
Vanilla bean
Suggested YouTube tutorials:
The Easiest Cold Brew Ever: 2 Ways by Joshua Weissman - Click here
How to: Three Ways to Cold Brew Coffee by Starbucks Coffee - Click here
How to make Cold Brew Coffee (that doesn't suck) by Seven Miles Coffee Roasters - Click here
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